Continuous revolving file and index



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

A. J. RUDOLPH. CONTINUOUS REVOLVING FILE AND INDEX.

Patented Apr.- 19, 1892.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets Sheet 2.. 1 A. J. RUDOLPH.

GONTINUOUS REVOLVING FILE AND INDEX.

No. 473,348. Patented Apr. 19, 1892.

Nrrnn STATES ALEXANDER J. RUDOLPH, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

CONTINUOUS REVOLVING FILE AND INDEX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 473,348, dated April19, 1892.

Application filed septeniber 18, 1891. Serial No. 406,148. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER J. RU- DOLPH, a citizenpf the UnitedStates, residing in the city an d county of San Francisco, State ofCalifornia, have in vented an Improvement in Continuous Revolving Filesand Indexes; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the same.

My invention relates to certain improvements in indexes and files.

It consists of a revolving drum and a chain consisting of inflexiblecards or surfaces adapted to be moved over said drum, each card beingprovided with a means for attaching slips or other matter suitable to bearranged thereon.

It also consists in certain details of construction, all of which willbe more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention with a part of thesupporting-frame. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same. Fig. 3 is anenlarged detail View in perspective of the working parts. Fig. a is aperspective View of the inclosing case. Fig. 5, Sheet 1, is a verticalsection of the revolving drum and ratchet-pawl and frame.

This invention is of special advantage for library and publisherscatalogues, registers, dictionaries, gazetteers, accounts, tables ofcontents, bills of lading, inventories, files, tallies, records,muster-rolls, schedules for exhibiting samples and patterns in drygoods, hardware, stationary, &c., and in fact foranything that needsalphabetical, chronological,

' numerical, classified, topical, or other systeare so journaled withreference to the two meeting sides at each angle that these sides formtangents with their peripheries. Upon each of the faces of the drum arethe fixed conical projecting points F. p

G are the leaves or cards, which are made of any suitable materialapproximately inflexible, and they are of a size to fit upon thesurfaces of the drum. They are connected together by links or by ringsH, of rounded or elliptic form, which will pass through holes made inthe opposite edges of the cards, or by any suitable flexible connectingdevices, thus forming a chain of these cards as long as may be neededfor the purpose. Through each end of these cards holes I are made, whichwill just fit over the projecting pins F, previously described. Thesepins and the holes in the cards insure the cards registering in an exactposition upon the sides of the drum as the latter is revolved. The endsof the cards adjacent to the end of the drum which carries therollers D,previously described, are made convex or projecting in the center, andthrough this projecting portion of each card a hole J is made. Anendless cord or band K passes through these holes and over the pulleysor rollers upon the end of the drum,thence passing down around rollersat the bottom of the case or framework, which serve as, guides to keepthem in a straight line. are sufficiently grooved to keep the tapes orThese lower rollers, which bands in place, are also made heavy or have'weights'connected with them, or an independent weighted wheel may restupon the tapes, so as to maintain a proper tension upon the bands. Theseguiding-tapes may in some caseshave their lower ends fixed with elasticconnections or intermediate elastic strips, and remain stationary, whilethe drum revolves; but the construction above described gives lessfriction and appears more desirable. If found necessary for long cards,guide-tapes may be employed at each end. By this construction the cardsare guided in their movements and are caused to fold successively uponeach other in the proper manner when they reach the supporting-tablesbelow the drum upon either side where they rest. These tables are shownat L, and as the drum is rotated and the cards are carried over from oneside of the drum to the other they are deposited upon this table, thelowermost one folding down upon the table, the next following foldingupon this one being guided by the tapes or cords, as previouslydescribed, and so on until all the cards are in position.

The lowermost edge of the lowermost card is connected with a triangle,which is formed with two cards M N, longer at one end than theindex-cards and hinged or linked together in the same manner as theindex-cards and having cords N, connecting their inner edges in such amanner that when they are raised up from the supporting-table they willmaintain theirangular relation with each other, as shown. These cards orstopplates are sufficiently longer than the index-cards to allow theirprojecting ends to engage the pawl-levers and throw them into engagementwith the ratchet-pini0ns to stop the drum. By this construction thelower edge of the lower card N moves upwardly against the innerguidepost of the frame, while the upper of the two cards M, standing atan angle outwardl is 111 position to engage the pawl-lever O or a springP, which in the present. case is shown attached to it. These levers arefulcrumed to the stationary frame at each side of the drumshaft at oneend, and the pawl ends Q are adapted to engage with the teeth of aratchetwheel R. These teeth are preferably made rectangular, so that thepawls may engage and hold them from either side. Itwill be manifest thatwhen the last card has been raised from a table upon either side if thedrum continues to turn it will draw up the triangular framework M andallow the proper point to strike the pawl-lever, and by causing the pawlto engage the teeth of the ratchet-wheel on the drum-shaft will preventany further rotation of the drum in this direction. The triangulararrangement upon the opposite end in like manner serves as a stop whenall the cards have been carried around the drum from that direction.This prevents the cards being entirely run off the drum or carried toofar in either direction. Each of these cards has fastened upon itsopposite edges small reinforcing-strips extending from end to end, andon the top of these strips are fastened other strips S, which projectinwardly a little wayover the first-named strips, thus forming groovesor channels, as plainly shown, for the introduction of any cards,samples, or other device which it is intended that the-cards shouldcarry. It will be manifest that these holders may be made of sheetmetal, with the edges turned over to contain the index-cards or samples,and they may also be made with two or more independent columns orotherwise arranged to suit the necessities of the 1 may be of anydesired length, but must be cut uniform in width to fit exactly underthe overlapping side strips. This allows the ar' rangement of theinserted slips according to any system. Errors can be corrected andchanges m ade at any place in the holders without defacing anything, andthe chain maybe made of any suitable ordesired length.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A file and index consisting of a series of cards or holders linkedtogether at their edges to form a flexible chain, a polygonal drumhaving sides corresponding in shape with the cards, guides upon thefaces of the drum, with which the cards engage, and a means for rotatingthe drum, substantially as herein described.

2. A file and index consisting of a series of cards or holders havingtheir edges flexibly connected together to form a series or chain, apolygonal drum having guides upon its faces adapted to engage the cardsas they pass over the drum, tables situated below the drum upon eachside and adapted to receive the cards and fold them successively oneupon the other as they descend from the drum, substantially as hereindescribed.

3. An index and file consisting of a series of cards having their edgesflexibly connected together, a polygonal rotary drum, the sides of whichapproximate the shape of the cards, guides upon the faces of the drum,with which the cards engage as they pass over it, perforated extensionsat one end of each of the cards and a cord or tape passing through theseextensions, rollers projecting from each of the angles of the drum overwhich the tape passes at the upper end, and weighted guiding-rollersover which the tape passes at the lower end, whereby the tension ismaintained and the cards are caused to fold symmetrically upon eachother as they descend from the drum to the table, substantially asherein described.

4. A continuous file and index consisting of cards having their edgesflexibly connected together, a polygonal drum, the sides of whichcorrespond approximately in shape with the cards, a guiding cord or tapepassing through holes in extensions at the end of the cards, rollersprojecting from each of the angles of the drum over which the tapepasses and a tension device over which the lower end of the tape passes,a ratchet-wheel fixed upon the drum-shaft, pawls engaging said ratchetfrom opposite sides, with extensions or leverarms projecting downwardand outward therefrom, and a stop mechanism attached to the lowermost ofthe index-cards at each end and adapted to engage with the pawl-leverswhen drawn upward to throw the pawls into ongagement with the ratchetand stop the rotation of the drum, substantially as herein described.

5. The rotating polygonal drum having a ITO ratchet-wheel upon one endof its shaft, pawls fulorumed to the frame to engage the ratchetwheelfrom opposite sides, with arms or levers projecting outward and downwardtherefrom, said levers having springs secured to their inner sides, aseries of cards adapted to fit the polygonal faces of the drum, havingtheir edges flexibly connected together, a table situated below thedrum, guiding cords or tapes passing through holes in one end of each ofthe cards, whereby they are caused to fold symmetrically one above theother upon the tables upon either side of the drum, and an angulardevice attached to the lowermost of the index-cards at each end, adaptedto engage the spring-armed levers, so as to throw the pawls intoengagement with the ratchet-wheel upon one side or the other and stopthe rotation of the drum when the lowest of the indexcards has beenbrought to the top, substantially as herein described.

6. An index and file consisting of a rotary polygonal drum, cardsapproximating in size orshape tothe sides of the drum, said cards havingchannels or guides formed upon each side for the reception ofindependent removable strips, flexible links or connections by which theedges of the cards are connected together, a table situated below thedrum, upon which the cards are alternately folded from either side bythe rotation of the drum in one direction or the other, a guidingcordpassing through holes in extensions at the end of the cards, wherebythey are caused to fold symmetrically npon each other as they reach thetables and their position upon the drum is maintained, a ratchet-wheelfixed upon one end of the drum-shaft, pawls fulcrumed to the frame-workand engaging said ratchet-wheel upon opposite sides, extensions of saidpawls projecting outwardly and downwardly, and a stop mechanism attachedto the lowermost card at each end, adapted to engage said levers andthrow the pawls into engagement with the ratchet when the final cardfrom either end has reached the top of the drum,

whereby the rotation of the drum is stopped,

substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ALEXANDER J. RUDOLPH. Witnesses:

S. H. NoURsE, J. A. BAYLESS.

